Adjustable jaw pliers



July 27 *1943 P, J. CARGILE ADJUSTABLE JAW PLIERS Filed March 19. 1942INVENTOR Ea-ml Lar ile ATTORNEY Patented July 27, 1943 D'JUSTABLEVJAWPL-iERs v y Paul I. Cargle, United rStatesNarvy 1V gApplication March19, 1942, Serial No. 435,2655

't claims.x (c1. sir-51.4)

lGranted underthe act of March 3,1883, as' l A amended. April 30, 1928;3'10A O. 757) v This invention relates Yto pliers orv vWrenches andhasfor an object to providel a/pair of pliers wherein the jaws areadjustablejnot only to each other, but also with relationfto the angleto their operating handles. l" V` 'l f Pliers, as conventionally made,usually have the jaws at a xed angle tothe handles, although in ksomecases, suchv as in U. S. Patent No. 1,670; 188, means are provided' foradjusting one jaw relative to the other so as to take vcarevof objectsof varying Width.v With 'the present invention vthis same function isprovided, but in addition it becomes possible to change; the'anglebetween'rthe pair of jaws andthe pair of'op'era-ting handles.

It thus becomes possible withithis' invention to manipulate an objectaround a1 corner so that the Ahandle may extend in one direction and thejaws will extend at a desired adjusted anglel in adifferent direction. fv 'A With the foregoing and other objects in View, v'the inventionconsists inthe constructionjcombination and arrangement Hof lpartshereir'iafte'r 'described and illustratedv Yin the drawing,` in which:

invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view Vof the bottom of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views ofthe jaws per se;an'd` '1' i There isshown at Ill'and I I the individual and complementary jaws of the pliersof this invention. Each of the jaws Il) and I I is provided with acircular hub I2, the hubs I2 being complementary to each other andtherefore of approximately one-half the thickness of the jaws. Each hubI2 is provided with a ratchet consisting of a plurality of projectingteeth I3 extending from the periphery thereof, the teeth on the hub I 2of jaw I I commencing at the gripping face of the jaw II and extendingaround approximately onehalf of the periphery thereof, While on the hubof the jaw I the teeth I3 commence adjacent the back of the jaw andextend about approximately three-fourths of the periphery of the hub. Itwill also be observed that these teeth extend at an angle to the radiusof the hub, the teeth on one jaw sloping vin a reverse direction to theteeth on the other jaw.

The jaws I0 and I I are mounted on a common pivot I4 which also extendsthrough ears II of shank handles I5 and I6. The essence of thisinvention is in the fact that each of the jaws is angularly adjustablerelative to its shank handle;

Fig. 1 is an elevational View ofthe pliers of 'any desired length, itmay be found more conthat is, 'shankhandle ISYmaj-be adjusted'relatve toits'jaw I0 and the. shank'handle. I6 may be advjustedrela-tive toritsjawII.` The'means foradjusting each jaw' relative to its shank handlerssubstantially identical and includes a plunger I8 extending throughitsshank handle. p' Thes'hank handle is provided with a `pairfof spacedapart ears 20 having alignedv apertures 2I through which the plunger I8extends, plunger I8 being provided at oneV end with'. a pawl or tooth 22'shapedtot between the'ratvchet 'teeth I`3a r1d at its other endwith aknurled Yenlarged handlev 23 for retracting the plunger againstltheforce of a spring 24 about the plunger I8 between the ears 20. An anchorpin 25 and washer 26 serve to "provide a base for the spring 24 toexertits thejaw, 'permittingthe jaw'to be rotated relative to the shankhandle;` Thej'aw may'the'n b e lheld in a dierent 'angular adjustmentrelative to the shank handle by permitting the' plunger tooth 22` torproject' between a diierent pair ojf ratchet teeth I3. l

One of the'y jaws, as I I, mayalso be provided with a cotter pinextractor 21 pivoted on a'pinZ Athrough th'ejaw lI I and provided at itsother end with a -Cotter pin hook 33." When not in use, the

:extractor 2-'I and Vits hook 3'may befrotated'and countersunk into asuitably shaped recess 3Iprovided inthe back of the .iaw Hf, Y. f, f

While the shank handles I5 and I6 may be of venient to make these shankhandles I5 and I5 fairly short, permitting the pliers to be used inclose quarters when necessary. It may also,

however, be desirable that the shank handles be of substantial length,and to provide for this contingency each of the shank handles I5 and I6is provided With extension handles 32 and 33. In order to quickly attachthe extension handles to the shank handles, each shank handle isprovided with a socket 34 having an internal bayonet joint slot 35formed therewithin. The ends of the extension handles 32 and 33 are eachpro vided with complementary shaped extensie-ns 36 .through which extendsuitably located bayonet pins 31 to cooperate with the bayonet slots 35,thereby permitting the extension handles to be quickly and easilyattached or detached, as desired.

In operation, by holding plunger 23 in retracted position, the jaws I0and Il may be angularly adjusted relative to the handle shanks, eitherfor the purpose of gripping a larger object or for the purpose ofgripping an object located around a corner from the direction that thehandle shanks can be extended. Thus, the jaws set to grip an object.around a corner are shown in dash outline l0' and Il. In this case, thejaws in adjusted position are close to each other but at an angle to thehandle Shanks. If desired to grip a wide object, the jaws I0 and Ilwould-be placed at a desired angle to each other. Obviously, instead ofstraight jaws, as shown, rthe gripping faces may be made arcuate orserrated, or both, as conventional.

Other modifications and changes in the number and arrangement of theparts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from 1.An instrument or tool comprising a pair .olfy

jaws mounted .for operation on a common pivot, a pair of handles forsaidjaws mounted on kthe Vsame rpivot and positive locking means fornuickly.iixing each handle to its respective jaw in selectively adjustedangular relations so vthateaoh 4,jaw will be positively .locked fromturning in eitherdirection relative to its handle.

2, An instrument or tool comprising a pair ,of jaws mounted foroperation on .a common piyot, a paix-oi handles for said jaws mounted on`the ,samepivot and positive locking means for quickly fixing-eachhandle to its respective -jaw in selectively adjusted angular relationsso that each jaw will be positively locked from turning in .eitherrelative to its handle, said locking means including a ratchet on eachjaw having substantially rectangular teeth and a spring-pressedcomplementary lug mounted on each handle adapted to slide into aselected space between the ratchetl teeth on lthe respective jawportion.

3. An .instrument or tool ycomprising a pair .of

`jaws mounted for operationen Aa common pivot,

a pair of handles for said jaws mounted Von `the same pivot and positivelocking means lfox-.quickly xing each handle to its respective Jaw Ainselectively adjusted angular relationsso thateach l jaw will bepositively locked from turning in either direction relative to itshandle, said locking means including a ratchet portion on each jawhaving substantially rectangular teeth and a spring-pressedcomplementary lug mounted on each handle adapted to slide into aselected space between the ratchet teeth on the respective jaw portion,said lugs being provided with means whereby to manually retract themagainst the spring pressure.

4. An instrument or tool comprising a pair of y `jaws mounted foroperationY on a common pivot,

a pair of handles for said jaws mounted on the same pivot, positivelocking means for quickly fixing each handle to its respective jaw inselectively adjusted angular relations so that each jaw will bepositively locked from turning in either direction relative to itshandle, and extensions for said handles joined thereto by bayonetconnections for quick attachment or removal.

5. An instrument or .tool comprising-a `pair of jaws mounted for`operation on a common ,-pivot, a Ypair of. handlesV forsaid jawsmountedon `rthe same pivot, positive locking-means for quickly fixingeach handle to its respective -jaw .in selec- -tively adiusted angularrelations so that each jaw will vbe positively .locked from turning. ineither direction relative to its handle', said -locking means includinga ratchet portion von each jaw having substantially rectangular teethand a vspring-pressed complementary llug mounted -.on each handleadapted to slide into'a-selected space between the ratchet teeth` on therespective Ajaw portion, `and extensions Vforsaid handles joined theretoby bayonet connections for quick attachment or removal.

6. An instrumentar tool comprising a -pair of .jaws mounted foroperation on a common pivot, a pair of handles for said jaws mounted onthe same pivot, positive locking means for quickly ixingeach handle toits respective jaw 'in selectively adjusted angular relations so thateach jaw will be .positively locked `vfrom` turning in either directionrelative to its handle, said -lock- 4ing Ymeans including a ratchetYportion on each each handle adapted -to slide into Aa 'selected spacebetween the ratchet teeth on the respective jaw portion, said lugs beingprovided withfmeans whereby to manually retract .them against the springpressure, Aand extensions Yfor Ysaid -handles joined thereto -by bayonetconnections for rquick attachment-or removal.

.. PAUL J. CARGILE.

